Railway hopper car pivoted closure latching mechanism



G. B. DOREY Sept. 24, 1963 RAILWAY HoPPER CAR PIvoTED cLosURE LATCHING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lFiled Jan. 18, 1961 Tr t5..

G. B. DOREY 3,104,623 RAILWAY HOPPER CAR PIVOTED cLo'suRE LATCHING MECHANISM Sept. 24, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 18, 1961 G. B. DoREY 3,104,623

' RAILWAY HOPPER CAR PIVOTED CLOSURE LATCHING MECHANISM Sept. 24, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 18, 1961 INVENToR. Healy@ ,Up/5gg,

G. B. DOREY RAILWAY HOPPER CAR IFIVOTED CLOSURE LATCHING MECHANISM sept. '24, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 18, 1961 .f E M www] @Ns mmd A U Hw W5 mw 1B @Qmmww uis Hlm. f @A J /wwk w 1A/N, .6 @www N@ 2 vm w G. B. DoRl-:Y 3,104,623 -RAILWAY HOPPER CAR PIvoTED cLosuRE LATCHING MECHANISM Sept. 24, 1963 5 Sheets-SheetI 5 Filed Jan. 18, 1961 INVENToR. 660g@ Z5. UO/gg United States Patent O M' 3,104,623 RAILWAY HOPPER CAR PIVQTED CLOSURE LATCHING MECHANISM t George B. Dorey, Westmount, Quebec, Canada, asslgnor to Enterprise Railway Equipment Company, Chicago,

Ill., a corporation of illinois Filed Jan. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 83,521 Claims. (Cl. 10S-248) This :invention relates to an improved vertically movable latching means for a hopper door construction for railway cars and the like Aand it has particular reference to a pivotally mounted door structure of the type generally used in connection with transversely mounted hopper doors.

In hopper cars of the 'identified type having the doors extending transversely of the car, la ygenerally accepted method of latching the doors in closed position resides in the employment of independently functioning latching keepers located at the opposite sides of the car for retaining the opposite ends of the door structure in closed position. The system of independently latching and releasing the opposite ends of the doors in this manner generally requires that -an operator be employed Iat each side ofthe car. This independent operation, furthermore, requires close cooperation between the operators at the opposite sides of the car to vassure simultaneous release of the keepers at the opposite ends of the doors. Repeated failures in effecting the simultaneous release of the keepers at the opposite ends of the door structure eventually results in distortion of the doors, door -bracing and supporting parts due to the weight of the lading being held at only one end of the door structure, las will be readily understood.

It is one of the objects of this invention, among others, to overcome the disadvantages incidental to independent latching and releasing of the keeper means lat the opposite ends of the door structure by providing a latching mechanism which may be operated from either side of a car. Other objects are: To provide a [bodily movable shaft member adapted to engage with shouldered keepers at the opposite ends of a door structure; to provide a latching shaft engaging with shouldered keepers located at the opposite ends of a door structure Iand at a location intermediate thereof; to provide a mechanism having keepers with stepped shoulders at a location intermediate the ends of a door structure for holding it in partly closed position and to provide other shouldered keepers adjacent the ends of the door structure having flared entrance ways to the shoulders for guiding the mechanism into latching position; and to provide abodily movable latchin-g shaft which may be readily Iapplied or removed from a car door structure and mounted independently of a locking shaft.

The invention further resides 4in the novel methods employed for obtaining the desired results and in the details of construction incorporated in the improved structure. For further comprehension of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein the improvement is shown as `applied to a hopper car having transversely mounted doors.

In said drawings:

FIG. l is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through the lower part of a railway hopper car and show- 3, E. Patented Sept. 24, 1963 ICC 2 ing a pair of doors in open position Iand with the improved latohing mechanism applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from left to right with the door shown by full lines in open pendant position and in conventional dot and dash lines las positioned when the latch `deflector makescontact with Athe inclined runways of the side shouldered keepers on door closing movement.

FIG. 3 is -a side elevational View, similar to FIG. 2, ex-cept that the door structure is shown in closed and latched position.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional View taken through the door structure showing the door in partially closed position as retained by the intermediate keepers, said view being taken at a location corresponding to a line 4 4 of FIG. l.

FIG. 5 is still another Vertical sectional View, similar to FIG. 4, taken through the door structure and showing the latching shaft in position as it is lifted `by the outer keepers to engage the upper tips of the intermediate keepers preparatory to dropping into engagement with the secondary latching shoulders.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional View taken through the doors and showing the auxiliary shaft with Ithe eccentric end portions in 'blocking position, said view being taken on a line 6 6 of FIG. l.

FIG. 7 is a fractional vertical sectional view taken through the `door and on a line 7 7 of FIG. l.

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating at Ian enlarged scale the contours of the forwardly projecting portions of the end and intermediate keepers.

FIG. 9 is Ia vertical sectional view of the lower portion of a car having a single door formed by a continuous door plate and the conventional center sill eliminated with a partition substituted therefor, said view showing the door in open position.

FIG. 10 is la side elevational sectional view of the structure shown in FIG. 9 as taken on -a line 10 10 of FIG. 9.

FIG. ll is a fractional sectional elevational View as an enlarged scale showing the linkage in extended position that -is illustrated in `folded position in FIG. l0.

Referring rst to the structure `shown in FIGS. l-8 inclusive, 10 10 indicate the rails on which the car is mounted, 11 the center sill of the car and 12-12 the side wall angles or sills of the car. Interposed between the center sill 11 and side wall angles or sills 12-12 yare hoppers A each having a discharge opening and a door B for closing the respective opening.

The hoppers A are disposed on opposite sides of ythe center sill 11 in transversely yaligned relation. lnasmuch as the hoppers and doors are of similar construction, the description herein will be 4confined to only one hopper and door. Each hopper A is defined, in part, by upperand lower oppositely sloping oors 13 and 14 and inner and outer side walls as indicated at 15 and 16 respectively. The edge portions of said walls 'and oors are spaced from each other to form va discharge `area which in turn is bordered by a frame 17. Each frame 17 is preferably in the for-rn. of ya lower stirrup portion including legs 18 and 19 which respectively overlie the side walls 15 and 16 4and 1a lower portion 20 which underlies the lower sloping oor 14. The stirrup portion of the frame 17 is preferably T-shape in cross section with a stem 21 projecting centrally outwardly from the overlying base portion 22 of the frame. The upper portion of the frame 17 includes a beam member 23 which underlies the upper sloping door 13.

The upper beam member 23 is preferably of angle shape with one wall 24 underlying the oor 13 and the adjacent wal-1 2-5 projects downwardly `and forwardly beyond the edge of the side walls 13 and 14 and with the outer portion of the base portion 22 forms a forwardly extending chute like structure. In the angle presented by walls 24 and 25 there are disposed pairs of hinge butts` 26-26 :whichare apertured Kat 27 for receiving door pintles 28.

Pivotally supported by the pintles 28 are the doors B each of which includes hinge straps 2S- 29 and a body plate portion 30 that is welded to the straps 2.9-29 as indicated at 3l. Each door plate body portion is preferably of pan shape with an upturned marginal ange 32 and, when closed, assumes an inclined position to enclose the forwardly extending chute like structure of the frame 17.Y

The doors B-B can be connected by an angle bracing member 33 Welded thereto, as indicated at 33', to form an assembly of the two doors and cause them to swing together as a unit. As will appear hereinafter, the angle bracing member 33 can be omitted and other means employed to effect conjoint operation of the doors B-B. The door assembly as composed of the two doors B-B hangs in a substantially Vertical open position, as shown .in FIGS. 1 and 2, and is adapted to be lkicked or swung toward its closed position to meet with the sloping door 14 and be there retained by latching mechanism which will no-w be described.

The latching mechanism includes outwardly spaced shouldered keepers 34-34 and intenmediately located shouldered keepers 35-35. The outer keepers 34-34 are disposed outwardly beyond the ends of the door assembly and are carried by the hopper outer kside walls 16-16. The keepers 35-35 are carried by the hopper inner side walls -15. Cooperating with the shouldered keepers 35-35 is ya latching shaft section 36 which is bodily movable and arranged to be `moved by rotation. The shaft section 36 is provided with radially extending arms 37--37 which pivotal-ly connect at 38-38 with one end of linlcs 39--39 which in turn connect at 4G-40 with lugs 41--41. The lugs i1-41 lare carried by bracket bars 42 which preferably consist of flat bars welded or otherwise secured to the outer face of the doors B-B as indicated at 43.

The pivots 38--38 and itl-40 extend slightly beyond the associated links 39-39 and may be welded thereto. The axes of said pivots 38 and 45' are preferably so related to each other 'and to the axis of each latch shaft section '36 that a straight line 45 (FIG. 7) extending through said axes of the said pivots will pass substantially through and slightly to one side or slightly beyond and to one lside of the axis 46 of the latch shaft section 36, when in closed position, 4in order to provide a closed toggle mechanism. The links 39-39 are `indented at 47 to allow for the seating of the-shaft section 36 in closed toggle position.

The latch shaft section 36 is confined in its bodily movement to a given path lbetween inner and outer guiding walls 43 and 49, FIG. 7, the latter consisting of flat plates bent inwardly to present upper yand lower walls indicated at 50 and 51 respectively. The upper walls 50 are welded to the inner walls 4S at 52 and the lower wa-lls 51 are welded to the bracket bar 42 at S4. 'Ihe adjacentv Cooperating with-the latch shaft structure to retain the door assembly in closed position are the shouldered Y clude shouldered portions 57 lwhichare disposed in alignment with each other, FIG. 8, to engage with the shaft sections 36 of the shaft assembly for retaining the doors B-B in fully closed position.

The intermediate keepers 35-35 function to hold the door assembly in partially closed position and the outer keepers 34-34 operate to ease the portions of the shaft assembly which :overhang the intermediate keepers 35-35 into engagement with the iinal locking Shoulders 57. To thisend the intermediate keepers 35---35 are each provided with 'a `secondary shoulder 66, FIG. 8, stepped from the main shoulder 57and connected therewith by an inclined surface 61. Each outer keeper, 34 includes a flared approach to the main shoulder 57 formed by an inclined surface 62 corresponding to the inclination ofthe incline-d surface 61. The inclined surface 62 is projected well beyond the secondary shoulder 6b and thus presents a Wide angle approach to the locking shoulder 57.

The outer end of each shaft section 36 of the assembly is formed with a deflector 63 having a lower arcuate surface 64 adapted to ride on inclined runways 65-65 of the related outer keepers 34-34. Each run-V way 65 leads to its inclined surface 62 and the junction 66 of the runway 65 with surface 62 is disposed substantially 'in horizontal alignment with the upper tip 67 of the secondary shoulder 60. The surface of each runway 65 lies slightly above the nose 68 of the respective inter-` mediate keeper 35 thus compelling displacement of the shaft yassembly solely by contact with the outer keepersv Extending laterally outwardly from each deflector 63 is a projection 69 which, in cooperation with a fulcrum 70 extending laterally from the related outer keepers 34,

allows the insertion of a prying bar 71, FIG. 3, therebetween for levering the latch shaft assembly in either latching or unlatching movements. Y

To prevent accidental release of the latch mechanism an :auxiliary shaft 72 extends from side to side of the doors B-B and at the ends thereof is provided with eccentric portions 73--73 for engagement with lugs 74-74 on the shaft sections 36--36- The said eccentric portions 73 are preferably in the form of circularly shaped bars bent to present angulfarly related portions 7S-7S`and 76-76 with the former welded at 77 to the shaft 72 and the companion extending at an acute angle to form an operating handle. ings 78 which are preferably of U-shape and disposed outwardly of the outer guiding wall 49.

As shown in iFIG. 7, lthe U-shaped bearings 78 are pre erably formed of a plate bent to a U-shape with one .of the walls 79 longer than the opposite wall 80. Thebearings '78 are applied in position with the longer wall79 resting on the inwardly extending. upper wall 50 of the outer guiding wall 49 and said walls 79 and 80 are welded at -8t1 and 8i2 to the overlying wall member. An abutment 183 is welded at 84 and y85 to the lower wall 80 of each bearing 78 to limit swinging movement of the shaft 712 in either direction.

As pointed out hereinbefore, the angle bracing member 33 can be omitted if the latching shaft sections 36'-36,

cal interconnection between the doors B-B. Referring nowto the modification shown in FIGS. `9

to 11 inclusive, it will be noted that the improvement isV shown as applied to a car without a center sill and wherein the door plate extends continuously from side to side of .A the car. iIn FIGS. 9 to 1l the side wall angles'or sills.

of the car are indicated at --90 and the hopper structure is formed in part by upper and lower sloping floors i 91 and respectively which meet with inwardly slop- The sha-ft 72 is journaled in bearing side walls 93-93. Adjacent the side walls 93-93 there are triangular shaped oor sections 94-94, the edge portions of which cooperate with the edge portions of the sloping oors 91 and 92 to define a rectangularly shaped discharge area.

The discharge area is bordered by a framework including upper, lower and side sections shown at 95, 96 and 97-97, respectively. The said frame members are preferably of angle shape with one of the flanges 98 underlying the upper oor sheet 91 and the adjacent flange 99 projecting forwardly to form a four sided chutelike extension 100. The upper part of the frame is provided 'with apertured hinge butts 101 for receiving door pintles 102 -to pivotally support hinge straps 103 which are secured to a door l104.

The door 104 is preferably formed of metallic plate having the margins flared upwardly as at 105 to form a pan shape enclosure which embraces the forwardly projecting chute y100 of the frame, when the door 104 is in closed position. Midway of the discharge area there is disposed a hollow hood like portion 106 prefenably formed of two plates T-.107 which are welded at 108 to the iiange 99 of chute 100 and to the lower sloping floor 92 at 109.

Latching means for retaining the door 104 in closed position include outer shouldered keepers 110--110- carried by the hopper side walls 93-9'3 and an intermediately located shouldered keeper 111. The shoulders 112 of the outer keepers 1-10-110 and of the intermediate keeper l111 are disposed in aligned relation.

Cooperating with the shouldered keepers d10- 110 and 111 is Ia bodily movable shaft 113 having a series of axially spaced radially extending `arms 114 welded thereto. The arms 114 are pivot-ally `connected lat 115 to one end of links 116 which in turn are pivotally connected at their opposite ends at 117 to straps 118. The link and shaft assembly, which is shown in extended position in FIG. 1l, is folded to bring the shaft 113 in bearing relation with the outer face 119 of the straps 118.

The straps 118 are retained against the outer face of the door 104 by welding, as indicated at y120, and constitute the inner walls of yguiding slots for confining the movement of the shaft 113 to a given path. The outer wall of the slots is formed ybv downward extensions 121 of the hinge straps 103 which Iare brought outwardly at 122 to overlie the shaft L13 throughout its range of movement.

The ends of the shaft 113 are fonmed with arcuate shaped deflectors .123, similar to the deilectors 63 previously described, which engage with inclined runways 124- 124 on the outer keepers 110-110 yfor :displacing the shaft 113 upwardly as the door 104 is swung toward closed position. The upward movement of the shaft 113 is carried out solely by the outer keepers 110*110 inasmuch as the inclined runways 124-124 are disposed beyond the outer surface 125 of the nose of the intermediate keeper 111.

The intermediate keeper 111 is provided with an auxiliary shoulder 126 stepped from the main shoulder 112 for maintaining the door 104 in partially closed position. The auxiliary shoulder 126 is connected with the main shoulder 112 4by an inclined surface 127. The approach to the main shoulder 112 of each outer keeper 110 is an inclined surface 12S extending substantially in parallelism fwith the inclined surface 127 of the intermediate keeper 1'11 and is projected well beyond the auxiliary shoulder 126 to contact the overhanging portions. of the shaft 113 when it is held by the auxiliary shoulder 126.

The ends of the shaft 113 are provided with crank like portions Y1129 fwhich in cooperation with fulcrums 130- 1130 on the outer keepers L10-'1.10, provide rests for a lill-)yimg bar (not shown) in opening or closing the door The latching shaft 41.13 is retained in position and maintained against accidental release by an auxiliary shaft 1311 which is journaled in bearings l132 formed integrally with the hinge straps 103. The auxiliary shaft i131 is provided at each end with an eccentrically disposed portion 13'3 which is adapted to lie in the path of swinging movement of the adjacent link 116 when the auxiliary shaft i131 is rotated inwardly toward the door 104 from the position shown in FIG. l0. Each end of the auxiliary shaft `13,1 is provided with a handle portion y134 #which makes contact with an abutment y135 on the respective hinge strap 103 for limiting its movement in either direction.

The intermedi-ate keeper 1111 is sandwiched between the partition plates 107-107 and riveted thereto as indicated at 136. The door 104 is apertured at `137 for the passage of the intermediate keeper l11 therethrough. It is apertured also at 138 for the passage of a brake rod 1'39 therethrough, said rod being yalso passed within the housing 106.

v'If desired, an angle reinforcing member 140 can be suitably secured, as by welding, to the lower front portion of the door 104 to rigidify it and prevent warping.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In -a railway hopper car having a discharge opening and a door structure pivotally mounted adjacent the upper part of the 'opening and swingable to an `open pendant position, in combination:

(a) llatching means for retaining the door structure in closed position including:

(l) a bodily movable shaft, and (2) shouldered keeper means,

(b) said shouldered keeper means including end keeper means and intermediate keeper means,

(c) means movably mounting said shaft on said door structure with the ends `of said shaft projecting beyond the ends of said door structure,

(d) said keeper means being mounted on the hopper car with said end keeper means engaging the projecting ends of said shaft and cooperating therewith to guide said projecting ends of said shaft along predetermined paths during the final closing movement of said door structure and said intermediate keeper means engaging said shaft Iat a location intermediate its ends when said door structure is swung to closed position, and

(e) said intermediate keeper means having stepped `shoulders for retaining the door structure in partially `closed position whil-e said end keeper means hold steady said projecting ends of said shaft.

2. The invention, as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

=(a) the intermediate keeper means is located centrally Iof the door structure, and

(b) the end keeper means have flared approaches to their supporting shoulders for easing the ends of the shaft into retaining position with their shoulders 'compensating for teetering movement of the door structure about said intermediate keeper means.

3. The invention, as lset forth in claim 2, wherein:

(a) shoulder portions on the end keeper means are in alignment with a shoulder portion on the intermediate keeper means,

(b) the shaft is bodily movable by rotation, and

(c) the flared approaches on the end keeper means lead from the supporting shoulders thereon at a nonretaining angle for guiding the ends of said shaft and movin-g it by rotation into engagement with said supporting shoulders.

4. The invention, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the stepped shoulders on the intermediate `keeper means are connected by an inclined surface corresponding substantially `to inclined runways on the end keeper means presented by the flared approaches thereof and in substantial alignment therewith.

5. The invention, asset forth in claim l, wherein:

(a) the door structure comprises a pair of'doors each individual to 'a hopper having inner yand outer side walls with the inner walls disposed adjacent a `center sill of the 4car Iand a sloping door terminating at the bottom vof the hopper opening closed by the respective door,

(b) the doors are hinged to the hoppers adjacent an upper side thereof and are swingable by gravity to 5 the open position,

(c) the end keeper means are mounted on the outer side wal-ls of the respective hoppers and the intermediate keeper means are mounted `on the inner side walls of 4the respective hoppers. 10 (d) the shaft is movable by rotation Iand extends paralv-lel to the hinge axis of said doors and adjacent the edge-s thereof furthest removed from said hinge `axis and projects beyond said doors -at lits ends to engage with .the shoulders of said end ykeeper means to hold 15 said Kdoors closed, and

(e) said end keeper means have ii-ared approaches to their retaining shoulders to guide the ends of said shaft into eng-aging relation with sa-id retaining shoul-l ders.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Christiansen Feb. 5, 1937 Wine Q. Oct. 3l, 1922 Wine Oct. 7, 1930 j Campbell Nov. 1, 1932 Tatum Ian.. 26, 1937 Sheesley Sept. 20, 1949V Do-rey v June 2, 1959 Ingram et al. Dec. 6, 1960 Dorey Feb. 7, 1961 

1. IN A RAILWAY HOPPER CAR HAVING A DISCHARGE OPENING AND A DOOR STRUCTURE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ADJACENT THE UPPER PART OF THE OPENING AND SWINGABLE TO AN OPEN PENDANT POSITION, IN COMBINATION: (A) LATCHING MEANS FOR RETAINING THE DOOR STRUCTURE IN CLOSED POSITION INCLUDING: (1) A BODILY MOVABLE SHAFT, AND (2) SHOULDERED KEEPER MEANS, (B) SAID SHOULDERED KEEPER MEAN INCLUDING END KEEPER MEANS AND INTERMEDIATE KEEPER MEANS, (C) MEANS MOVABLY MOUNTING SAID SHAFT ON SAID DOOR STRUCTURE WITH THE ENDS OF SAID SHAFT PROJECTING BEYOND THE ENDS OF SAID DOOR STRUCTURE, (D) SAID KEEPER MEANS BEING MOUNTED ON THE HOPPER CAR WITH SAID END KEEPER MEANS ENGAGING THE PROJECTING ENDS OF SAID SHAFT AND COOPERATING THEREWITH TO GUIDE SAID PROJECTING ENDS OF SAID SHAFT ALONG PREDETERMINED PATHS DURING THE FINAL CLOSING MOVEMENT OF 